Burning at a low flame
by Pandoradoomer
Summary: A boy with a rare name has recently embarked on a Pokemon journey along his newfound friend... a little Growlithe pup. Expect nothing but the regular storyline of the anime, because I am lazy to write summaries
1. A new end

Pokefiction

You know Hoenn is the most peaceful of regions. This comes from a little boy who had travelled around the world and had seen every single region there is to explore… Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, even Fiore. But despite the Indigo's many sublime villages, it doesn't compare to home. The harmony that the volcanoes and oceans colliding create, the sound of wild Taillow and Wingull flying towards the sunset and most of all the jolly woods near Petalburg, teeming with lazy Kakuna and agitated Wurmple fighting with Nincada all while Shroomish were bathing in the glorious sunlight, it truly was marvelous. However, in his travels, his father being a world renowned diplomat and negotiator, never had he really grown roots in one place. Being always with a suitcase at the door ready to embark on a plane leaving for another corner of the world, it's pretty hard to find a school or friends. However, using the professors' encyclopedia over the Pokemon life, written by people like Oak, Elm, Birch, Rowan, Juniper and Sycamore, truly gave him insight over all that is Pokemon… However this is only practice over theory…Having grown to almost ten years old, he was ready to go and embark on my journey, this being the bitter half of his dreams from childhood. Needless to say he had a mother who was severely worried and convinced his already overbearing father to become a supernova…

"No, for the thousandth time you are not going anywhere…"

"But, mom come on… It was the only thing I've asked of you for the entire life…"

"What do you mean? You asked for tons of stuff and we delivered immediately…"

"Such as? Give me one example and I will walk away."

"Umm…. Umm… Horace what did we buy our boy?"

"Nothing dear, we never could really find what he asked, so it was a shot in the dark."

"See? Now may I at least make my point across you please?"

"No, Blaise, I won't listen to any word you'll say anymore. You have got no experience with Pokemon and they are dangerous creatures, this is why you've never been allowed to ever have one…"

"You can't stop me," Blaise said." I will never renounce my dreams…"

"Bark a lot but you won't bite, my dear. Now get ready for our late evening stroll…"

"Ugh, fine he sighed," desperation slowly sinking in his small being. It's funny how rich people always make such pathetic mistakes, that they literally cannot afford to happen. They think they are open minded but they are so absorbed of themselves , to the point where it leads to an unhealthy delusion… It's only a dream of perfect parenting… No one understands that If you'd let people make mistakes they learn from them, rather than prevent any sort of mishap for the so-called sake of the child…

Horace and his lovely wife Mindy were quietly walking on the main street of Petalburg, astonished of its emptiness given the time. I think everyone got the hang of watching gym battles so much, it became a city wide hobby. They didn't enjoy such frivolous activities…For them, a silent stroll under the sunset's glow was all they needed to be entertained. It's the mere enjoyment of spending time with your loved one that fueled their happy marriage. Their little kid, Blaise, was mentally banging his head on the steel cold pavement. He hated this. He would much rather spend his time reading alone at home than sitting in the company of two self obsessed people. It was as if you're going to the puppet show and you are the only live prop surrounded by marionettes. This is how you can see the world when you've been grown only to a glance of what it truly is… Surveying the world with wooden eyes… But it wasn't until something violently entered their lives, that their perspective were to be turned upside down…

A wild Growlithe appeared out of nowhere and tackled Blaise so hard that he fell on the street. He got up right in time, but it wasn't done with the attack. As if it were rabid, the pup jumped over the helpless boy, biting him hard on his wrist, ripping off his suit, blood dripping from his hurt hand…Horace rushed over and grabbed the light Pokemon and threw it over on the pavement. It was hurt and in tremendous pain… It curled up and started squealing scared of us…

On the other side, Blaise got up and was nothing short of bravely enduring his little pain and tried to slowly recover from his shock. Coming back to his senses, he slowly paced towards the wounded pup, trying to gently comfort it. His attempt of petting the almost fainted Growlithe resulted in another bite, but the boy was brave and perseverant to the point of stubbornness. He hugged it so hard, that its muffled barks turned into yiffs, then into drowsy growls. It fell asleep.

"What are you doing touching that infested pest, which, more importantly, tried to kill you!" Horace flipped.

"Drop that Pokemon right this instant and come here!" his mother yelled almost breaking the glass windows behind them.

However, Blaise didn't even flinch. As if in a trance, he walked away with short stubby steps towards the Pokemon center from down the road. It was a short road, but it seemed to be a lot longer for an injured little boy. Turning his head he could still see his parents angrily throwing gestures at him, while he completely ignored them. All he could think of was the seemingly newborn pup, whose breath was coming out in heavy pants. From all his readings he knew that, if left alone, all baby Pokemon were completely helpless should they faint and not be near their parents. This is why he completely ignored his pain and couldn't think of nothing else but the health of his companion.

Barging in the Pokemon center , he shouted at the nurse to swiftly take this wounded Growlithe and heal him up.

"Ok, ok, calm down. Put him on this plate and we'll take care of him in no time."

Joyfully, nurse Joy and Chansey accompanied the fainted Pokemon in a back room where they seemingly got fixed up and healed up. However, he needed medical care too. Nurse Joy wasn't trained to look after wounded people, but as all grown-ups, she could give basic first aid.

"Hey, you…"

"Oh, hello, answered the little boy a bit shook up."

"My name is Joy, what's yours?"

"I'm Blaise…"

"That's a very nice name. Now how about you tell me what happened to that Growlithe while I bandage your arm?"

"Sure. I was walking on the street with my parents, when it came out of nowhere and pounced me, biting my arm. My father panicked so hard that he grabbed it and threw it as if you'd throw a rock in the ocean. Growlithe hit the stone wall hard and almost passed out. I rushed to help it as fast as I could, but I was hurt by it, and he bit me again, after which it fainted. Then I came here…"

"But why would you come if it attacked you?"

"Well, hard to say… I think it's because I knew it didn't mean it. Probably the Growlithe got separated from its parents and, scared and alone, thought we were threatening it…Plus I've read that they can apparently smell people's emotions and thoughts and it may have read my parents' dreadful ones…"

"Well, I've got to say that you are very brave, young man, a manly voice rung past them."

It was Norman the gym leader of the city.

"Norman, what a pleasant surprise… Another victory I assume?"

"Sure thing. I just need you to take care of my Pokemon so I can be on my way. But while you do this I will want to have a little talk with this boy…"

"OK, I will bring them in no time," the nurse said as she left and entered the same back room she came from.

"So, I've heard your story and I've gotta say the most cliché way, but you remind me of someone I once met. It was a trainer who clean swept me with one Pokemon. He impressed me a lot, that day, but he told me that it was going to be his last gym battle… That was because he had to go away from Hoenn to take care of his family's old Miltank Ranch… He was desolated that after he was so hyped to follow his dream, family matters had to interfere and cut it from its roots. Even though apparently unrelated, it is…"

"How come?"

"Well, I know about your parents and how strict and against Pokemon they are. Therefore, I am sorry for you, but I will offer you a deal…"

"A… deal?" Blaise stuttered.

"Yes… I will speak to your parents, try to loosen them up, but in return you must take care of that Growlithe you brought in."

"But, if they don't let me have Pokemon, how am I going to even take care of it?"

"Easy. I will take it and you will always come to visit. Sounds good?"

"Perfect. Thank you, he said hugging Norman. You've made me an offer I can't refuse…"

"Here it is, completely healed up and rejuvenated, said nurse Joy from behind us."

On a tray, the Growlithe in question was sleeping tired after a possibly full day.

"You should let it rest, for a little while, and when it wakes up try not to approach him suddenly. He was just born yesterday so he is still very scared and since Growlithes leave far, far away from here, his mother is probably never going to find him soon, so it's possibly it will need a lot of care…"

"There's no problem, we'll take care of him, right, Blaise?" asked Norman. more rhetorically than seriously.

"Sure thing, sir."

His parents just walked in, figuring out after a long round of fighting, that their boy was missing and was headed for a Pokemon center…

"Oh my god, here you are. We were so worried…"said Mindy visibly concerned.

"Oh, Horace and Mindy, exactly the people I was looking for. I wanted to step by and invite you to dinner tonight. I've got a proposal for you…"

-" am not sure that we can," said Horace sharing his wife's state. "I think Blaise needs some rest after what happened…"

"I can go, dad, jumped Blaise," trying his most convincing glare, looking healthier than ever…

"Should we go?" asked Mindy still not certain of the good it could do to their hurt son…

"Ok, since he wants it, I don't see why not," sighed Horace defeated by his son's burning gaze.

"It's 7 o'clock now, so let's say 8 at the gym?" asked Norman, secretly exchanging glances with Blaise.

"Sounds fine…"

Needless to say that driven by their son, the couple were there on the dot, Horace trying his best to hold Blaise from breaking the door with border line abusive knocks.

"Hold it in, for goodness' sake. I am coming," said a woman from beyond the locked wooden " door" as it was more of a gate to a dojo. A young woman opened their way. It was Caroline, Norman's wife.

"Oh, it was you…"she said embarrassed. "Sorry, I thought you were some late contestant. Come in , Norman is in the garden. I'll get him then we can talk. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable in our home."

They entered the dining room which was beautiful at least in their view. The mahogany was emanating a musky scent which made us feel as if they were about to dine in the middle of the jungle. Bamboo drapes combined with the oak table really completed the image of a rustic home, as if it were built in the nineteen century by a lumberjack family. Blaise couldn't really taste this interior design. Half was because he didn't like it, half because he didn't care about his parents' blabbering, he was here only for what Norman told him…

Speaking of which, the proud gym leader just entered the room, after yet another day without defeat. He was the best gym leader of Hoenn, having lost so few battles in the last year.

"I am so glad, that you were able to come, Horace and Mindy. Hey, Blaise," he said kneeling down so he can be on the same level as the kid. "Why don't you go play in the garden with my children. Don't forget about what I told you, ok?"

"I won't sir," he said as he swiftly left the room to enter the seemingly empty little forest.

It was close to the Petalburg forest, actually it was an enclosed parch of the woods. This is why wild Budew and Wurmple were all around the place, along with the leader's many Pokemon. Slakoth, Vigoroth and Slaking were… slacking off. However, Blaise was looking for his new friend, quotations marks not included. Impatiently he wandered about the garden searching every possible hiding place, but to no avail…

"You're looking for something" asked a young child's voice.

It was Max, Norman's only son, who, completely incidentally, was also a Pokemon genius. He was 2 years younger, but could rival every professor in knowledge.

"Sure," Blaise said recollecting himself from his seeking trance." I want to know where a new Growlithe your father brought today. You know where he is?"

"Sure thing, my sister's playing with him, but she doesn't like dad's new finding very much… He bit her so much, that her arms are filled with bandages."

"Well, can't say I had a different experience," Blaise said rubbing his wounded arm…

Max soon lead him into a small room in the middle of the garden, which was labeled as some sort of nursing home.

"This is where dad keeps his very young Pokemon, until they grow enough to be trained and obedient. May usually hangs around here because she loves the cute little guys that usually get lost in the forest and are being taken care of inside."

After entering the small cabin, the two boys were greeted by the smell of burnt wood, as May was lying on the ground unconscious from the smoke. Growlithe was sitting on top of a sort of stove, exhausted seemingly, steam coming off his mouth. Scared bug types were taking refuge in a lonely corner…

"What's going on?" Max yelled scared.

"I think the only fire type in this room is responsible of this…Do this Pokemon know to listen to commands?" Blaise asked calm as ever.

"I don't think so… "the other boy responded in shock…

Blaise was not surprised of this… Wild Pokemon were known not to be obedient but it was the only thing that could save May and the helpless bunch hiding in the corner… This is why he slowly and carefully approached the little bugs, hands tucked in to not scare anyone as the breeding manual said, then in a very calm and soothing voice he asked:

"Look, guys, I know you're scared, but if you want to make it out we need to work together…"

He was cut short by one of the Beuatifly, scared out of its mind swiftly attacking him with a fierce Air Cutter. However, since his iron will was still in place, and his mind was set on two things now, he took the blow and shrugged it off as if it were nothing. In a bit of pain, he found the strength to breathe through the now thick smoke and, softly, yet firmly, put the enraged Beautifly on the ground, where it instantly calmed as if she a heard a soothe Chingling…

"Now how about you clear out the smoke, using Gust," he continued smiling.

Using its majestic wings, the three Pokemon have cleared the haze in an instant, but they did nothing but the fire was now stoked… just in time for a Lotad to be noticed by our young aspiring trainer… Oops spoke too fast.

"Well, hello there… You can help too," Blaise continued with the same calming smile. "How about you aim a good Water Gun there…"

With a few joyous croaks, the Lotad put out the fire and now the first problem was assessed… Now for the unconscious girl. It's amusing how much upper body strength can a 10 year old have. He carried May all the way from the garden to the house, without letting out even the smallest sigh. Max was freaking out still from what he had witnessed, but Blaise was calm as a stone as if this is just mundane, everyday stuff.

"How can you be so calm?" Max asked all of a sudden.

"I have absolutely no reason to panic. It makes bad decisions happen and significantly lower focus. Don't worry, you're going to get here some day. You're an insightful little man and I could see that panic blocked genuine care for your sister, he added smiling for himself seemingly."

"Thanks, I guess… I think we should get rid of that Growlithe…"

"Don't you even say that. He's just a young pup, possibly scared. I know it bit me and your sister, but it's not his fault. I am certain that with training he will become a good Pokemon."

"Well, my father once had a troublesome little Taillow. It destroyed a lot of our gym and continuously harassed any grass type which sought refuge here… However my dad didn't lose hope and eventually, it became a very powerful Swellow. By the time it came to us for the first time, it could barely fly, but then it was like an arrow piercing the sky with immense speed. That was the moment when dad decided to release him into the wild…"

"That is a nice story… Thanks for sharing… It gives me a little bit of extra hope for my little Growlithe," he said, sarcasm flodding his speech.

They've reached the dining room's door and barged in… It was an instant eye catcher. Norman jumped from his seat and immediately took his daughter, while Caroline didn't worry at all. Strangely enough, Horace and Mindy didn't flinch at all. They were pretty selfish, and since their kid was completely unscathed they could do nothing but show fake concern for May…

"What happened?" Norman yelled breaking free from his usual persona.

"A fire broke out in your nursing home, probably from that Growlithe you have. Max and I, along with the help of your Pokemon, put it out, but we found May unconscious…"

"Oh… I was scared that she really passed out…"

"What?"

"Oh, May is pretty sensitive when it comes of fire, and that little pup is pretty much a biter. Whenever a lot of stress comes onto the plate she loses it. Thankfully it happens so rarely that we don't need to worry a lot… Caroline, mind if you do your thing?"

"Right away," she said while freeing her Chimecho. "Chimecho use Healing Wish!"

Her beautiful Pokemon fainted almost instantly, but his energy was transferred to May and without any delay she woke up. Yet again, another person was briefed of the events, but Blaise refrained from taking any credit from rescuing her from the extinguished building. Max noticed this, but remained quiet, for now.

"So your daughter has been almost killed by Pokemon and you expect us to let our boy to go alone and fight with and against these dreadful things?" Angrily asked Mindy

"Yes, of course."

"Do I have to point out how wrong this is, Norman? "Horace jumped in.

"Yes, because, and I was hoping not to do this in front of him, but you can't just leave your son to live his life into fluff and butlers. He must live outside a crystal bowl…"

"What do you mean? He lives enough… He has friends, he has activities and most important of all he has fun…"

"Yes, but you forget something. You live in a world vastly inhabited by Pokemon and sooner or later your son will find his way to them. You may have both have bad experiences with them, but look around.. . so did we. May is deadly scared of Tentacool, but this didn't make her hate them all…"

"My opinion stands, Norman and it won't change either way you look at it…"

"How about a wager then? A new voice chimed in to the party." It was Max.

"I am sorry, young man? What wager you think of?"

"Sir, your son has a great talent with Pokemon, that I have witness and it would be a complete waste if it would not be put to work…"

"It would be no shame, but still, I appreciate a quirky young man… Name your demand…"

"You and your son had no proper Pokemon training, so how about you two battle… Should you lose you let Blaise follow his dream and should you win, he quits and becomes what you want. Is that a fair deal?"

"It sounds so, but there is a simple flaw. I don't appreciate no one deciding for anyone else…If Blaise wants this he should speak up. Besides, we don't even have…"he didn't even finish that sentence, when Norman cut him off.

"You can choose from anyone of mine," he said while freeing all of his Normal types.

"Let's do this, father," said Blaise completely hyped to battle for the first time in his life…

"You mean it, son? You realize what losing means?"

"I do, but don't worry, it's not an option for me, right now," Horace's son responded swiftly with a flame burning in his eyes…

"Fine, then I choose this one, "Horace said pointing at the strongest looking Pokemon from the bunch. Vigoroth quickly joined his side as Norman instructed him.

"Your choice now, son," continued the gym leader after leaving his Vigoroth in the diplomat's care.

"Do you even have to ask about my pick," answered the kid, smiling a little wickedly.

"Not really. He's been following you after all."

Blaise suddenly turned around to have Growlithe jump on and knock him over. However, what it was different was that this time, there was no biting. The puppy was now playfully licking his apparent new owner. The boy got up, petting his new companion on its white tuft of fur. Then after raising to his feet, he proudly admitted:

"Yes, this is my choice."

"I will be your judge," said Norman calmly. "Come to the arena…"

The gym leader lead the two combatants to a big hall, scarred by the battles of today.

"Sorry for the mess, I didn't have time to clean up the battlefield, from the last battle. Hope it's no problem. Without further ado, contestant 1 take your place," he said pointing to Horace as he quickly stepped in the white square, while his Vigoroth swiftly took his position as he did all the previous times.

"Contestant 2 take your position," Norman continued as Blaise was already in his place, his Growlithe instinctively growling to look fierce.

"As you both are new, I will give you each a piece of paper containing your Pokemon's possible move set. Good luck to you both. I will tell you when the battle is over, but now you…may… begin," Norman yelled as he accentuated each of his last words.

"Well, this may be easier than I thought it would be…"Vigoroth use Slash, Horace began forcefully.

His Vigoroth, dashed around the battlefield with immense speed, blinking from one point to another, until it came one inch from Blaise's Growlithe.

"Growlithe, jump back and use Bite!"

Vigoroth slashed the air, as Growlithe swiftly hopped behind and bit the now exposed flank of the normal type. It was a very effective move, due to the attack coming by surprise, but Vigoroth was no easy opponent.

"Vigoroth, shrug it off then use Fury Swipes!"

Vigoroth shook hard and Growlithe was thrown across the arena, but landed on his feet. His opponent however charged him with relentless attacks as he was slowly chipping the puppy's resistance away…

"Don't take this Growlithe! He's hitting high, duck and use Ember!"

Recovering from the flurry of blows he received, the pup managed to duck in time to dodge another swipe, making the Vigoroth lose balance… Fire came out of Growlithe's snout hitting his opponent with a full blow. He recoiled and jumped back on Horace's side of the arena.

"You know son, I may have underestimated your toughness, but still I can't let you get hurt… You know I love you, but if I've got to beat you to protect you, then this is how it will be… Vigoroth use Focus Punch!

"That's a mistake, father!" Yelled Blaise from across the arena.

"How come?" Asked Horace confused.

"That's a move that takes time to charge up, so now your Vigoroth is completely exposed to an attack that I can unleash… Sorry, but this is where this ends… Growlithe use Flame Wheel!"

Before the Focus Punch could even be charged, Growlithe was already rolling towards him, but Horace didn't think fast enough to order Vigoroth to stop… The force at which the newborn pup hit the trained sloth has been unrivaled… He was truly born a warrior…Vigoroth fainted…

"Vigoroth is unable to battle, Blaise wins!" Screamed Norman, pure joy resonating in his voice.

"Looks like I lost," said Horace disspaointed. "You beat me with a newborn Growlithe against a trained Vigoroth… Wait, Norman did you order your Vigoroth to hold back?" the defeated father asked rasing an eyebrow.

"I am an honest man, plus the boy won fair and square,"responded Norman calmly.

"Does this mean I can go on an adventure?" asked Blaise eager and unable to wait anymore…

"Yes, son this means you can go," said both his parents in unison, fear and despair flowing off their faces.

"But you'll go tomorrow, "Mindy jumped to stop Blaise who was getting ready to jump from his happiness…

"That's nice, since May is also going to embark on her journey tomorrow morning alongside her brother. You can both go together… Also take these," Norman continued as he handed Blaise a bunch of Pokeballs. "I assume I don't have to tell you what this means, right?"

"Of course not… I'm guessing it's getting late. Shouldn't we go mom?"

"Yes, we will in an instant…"

"Ok, then. Come on Growlithe, Blaise said as he grabbed his new companion and started petting him," while praising him for the win against Norman's Vigoroth.

They've reached their home at around 11 in the night… Blaise was put right to bed by his mother…

"What about Growlithe?" he asked worried for his Pokemon's safety

"Oh, he'll sleep outside, in the backyard… Don't worry we tied him up to a pole so he won't get away…"

"Ok, sounds good," responded her son placid, hiding his subtle anger as an actor would do.

Two hours have passed and the house was quiet as a graveyard… Only tiny muffled footsteps were breaking the unsettling silence. The door creaked as a small silhouette sneaked out of the giant mansion. Swift hand were now untying the noose on the little pup's chain. It awoke and would have started barking were it not to see the comforting gaze of his master.

"A Pokemon should not be trated like this," Blaise said. "Come, you're sleeping with me tonight."

The bedroom was quiet and the big bed looked threatening. The boy let Growlithe roam free, until he curled up on the big cotton filled pillow. He then laid down next to him and they fell asleep at the same time. Tomorrow was the beginning of a new story…


	2. Lost

Morning broke through the poorly covered windows as the first rays of sunlight landed on the little pup's eyes. He quickly rose to his feet and started poking his master with his tiny muzzle. Blaise was fast asleep, so Growlithe quickly resorted to a more violent approach. This is why the boy woke up screaming with a red mark on his cheek from his Pokemon's bite.

-Owwwww, what the… Oh, good morning, the child said remised , smiling with the realization that this behavior will repeat itself continuously. You're up early, it's only 8:00, Blaise continued . Let's head down for breakfast then we will be on our way.

An usual breakfast, an usual morning routine, but an unusual "leaving home for good" party broke out.

-What is this? Asked Blaise as he saw what his parents had readied for him. An immense bag, paired with a filled backpack and topped off with a pinch of luggage porter.

-Your bags, answered his mother calmly and frankly.

-You ever travelled on foot before? Her son continued a little enraged.

-No, but I ensure you these bags contain anything you may ever need.

-Good, then I will take what I actually need and be done with it, continued Blaise as he took out a few things from his backpack, leaving it half empty.

-Are you sure about this, intervened his father with the same placid gaze as his wife. He knew full well that he lost his wager and he was an honest man, so he couldn't go back on his word, but he still tried his best to keep his son close to him.

-Deadly sure. Well that's enough, Blaise said as he rose up and headed for the open mansion doors.

-Well, I guess it's goodbye, son , started his mother, tears stopping her as she kneeled and hugged her only son…

-Take care and write us soon, she finished her earlier statement, sobs interrupting her every word…

-Don't worry, Blaise comforted his mother. I've got Growlithe to protect me.

Mindy rose to her feet looking down to her son with a strong skepticism. She wiped her tears with a handkerchief she kept in her hand… Now she could not do anything but watch her little boy walking away the tall gate. He was ready to take on a dangerous world guarded only by a small puppy who could do little to nothing to safeguard him. At least that's what she thought.

It wasn't a long way down from their home to the gym. A short sandy causeway that starts out of nowhere and transform into a small patch of grass leading to a welcome mat. It's wonderful to look back and see two sets of footsteps completing each other, snaking through the soon to become mud, as rain clouds were gathering over their heads. Growlithe and Blaise were almost done with their stroll towards the home of the town's best trainer. The doorbell rang for a few seconds as swift footsteps were heard from inside, as the door was smacked open, knocking the little boy off his feet.

-Oh, sorry, May said as she helped Blaise back to his feet, accompanied by the disgruntled growls of his Growlithe, which snapped at her…

-Ow, that hurt, continued the girl, a drop of blood coloring the beige pavement.

-Sorry, about that…I guess I've got to train him a lot more… I guess he was just being protective and loyal as is their nature, the little boy tried to excuse his Pokemon.

-No problem, May responded rubbing her arm, as light bite marks appeared on her forearm. Come, now, I've got my Pokemon, we'll meet my brother and my friends at the entrance of the forest?

-They went ahead of us to prepare apparently… Oh, by the way… I never got to thank you for saving me from that burning building…

-Who told you that? Blaise asked looking a little scared.

-I've forced my brother into confessing. Why… what's the big deal?

-Nothing, I just don't like people knowing that I've done something good for them. It seems like they have a duty to repay when it's actually something to be left alone…

-Oh, I see, May said losing her balance in the conversation. Oh, did I show you my Pokemon?

-No, you actually haven't shown me, but we should really…

He was cut short as her Torchic erupted from his Poke ball, striking a pose, as May quickly grabbed him and hugged him.

-Isn't it cute? She continued trying to rob him of his words…

-I guess, he's kinda cute… Shouldn't we get going before my parents come crushing in and changing their mind?

-Oh yeah right, sure. Let's go she said as she was already far ahead of Blaise who was now running to catch up to her. He didn't break a sweat, while she was almost running out of breath. The road to the forest was short, because the gym was on the outskirts of Petalburg. The morning sun was warming up to offer them a nice weather to walk in the forest. Not too warm, not too cold, just right. May was staring at the light haired young boy, trying to grab the words with an arcade claw out of his mouth. She couldn't think of any conversation that would be appropriate for them both, or at least offering, but to no avail. No phrases were exiting her mouth as she took countless breaths trying to prepare for a long questions, but none could flee from her mind. However this gave her time to analyze her new friend, more than usual. He had very light blonde hair, partially combed, falling in short strands on his red cheeks. His green-emerald eyes were looking out the horizon as calm and as unbothered as ever. It was as if a statue was brought to life and was walking right next to her. She never had such a cold person walking by her ever again. His posture was perfect, his walking was flawless, he never skipped a beat and his steps were the same size as ever. It was inhuman… However a complete change was on its way when his Growlithe was falling behind… The little puppy was not used to walking so much, so exhaustion had settled in. His gaze changed from cold and wandering to warm and nurturing as he grabbed his Pokemon and put him on his shoulder, offering him a little berry, while rubbing his white tuft of fur. That was the time when he showed any sort of emotion… And he was beautiful, showing genuine care for his partner. May was inspired by him…

On the other hand, Blaise was also studying her actions. She had the same eyes as him, only hers were gleaming and sparking with the joy of travelling on her own journey. Her hair was carefully arranged and fit under her bandana, but it jumped on every other step she took, because she was hopping of happiness. She was very expressive and extroverted, but she seemed completely carefree and reckless.

Three silhouettes were contouring at the edge of their sights. They were arranged in order of height. Max was the shortest one, his glasses reflecting the only beam of sunlight passing through the dense ceiling of the woods. The other ones were unknown to him. However May had known them for about two days, so the two boys were barely acquaintances. But she knew their names at the very least: Ash and Brock. You could tell which one is which because a Pikachu was sitting atop Ash's shoulder, making him look as if a big lightning bolt was about to hit him in the head.

-Well, look who is finally up and running, Max said mockingly.

-Oh, shut up, will you? I couldn't find my Pokeball anywhere, plus I had to pick him up, May said pointing at the light haired boy who was busy admiring the sky through a tiny hole in the branches.

-Right… As if I don't know he came to our house to actually pick you up…

-Who are you? Ash asked trying this hardest to break the incoming fight…

\- My name's Blaise, the new addition to the group mumbled as if he woke up from a trance.

It was uncommon for him to spend time with people of his own age. This is why social awkwardness takes its toll.

-My name's Ash from Pallet town and this is Pikachu, the boy introduced himself along a few "pika" s from his companion.

-I am Brock, former gym leader of the Pewter gym, now on my way to become a Pokemon breeder, continued the oldest of the group.

-That's nice, Blaise said scratching the back of his head. Shouldn't we get going?

-Alright, finally someone who really understands that time is not to be wasted, Ash exclaimed excited.

You don't want to walk through the early hours of noon through these woods. Basic geography teaches us something along with intermediate physics. Dry air can easily be filled with water in its gas state, however humid air cannot. All plants, including trees are "sweating" meaning that they lose carbon dioxide and water in the air, flooding it. This is why during summer and at noon, nonetheless, walking through the Petalburg forest was hell on earth. Heaven for Blaise's Growlithe, due to the confirmed myth of fire types loving hot weather ( it actually boosts their power).

A PokeNav is pretty useful to calculate distances between two places. It's also severely discouraging when you see that you are about 20 miles away from the next gym and 5 miles from the nearest Pokemon center. You are in the middle of nowhere and can be attacked by anyone and anything and nobody will ever find you… This is when a strange buzzing came in, forming an astounding duet with the mysterious tune of the forest. It was hypnotizing and beautifully crafted by the sounds of nature, but only should you be interested in raw beauty. Safe to assume, our heroes aren't really admiring the visage nature provides, rather than muffling curses to the hot roaring sun.

-How much until we reach a place to rest? the youngest of them all asked.

-About 2 miles, if we keep up the same pace.

-How about we rest now? I am tired, my legs hurt and I think I speak for all when I say we need to recharge our batteries.

They all looked to Brock, waiting for him to say some sort of magical word that would make all their wishes come true in an instant.

-You set up a small camp, I'll fix something up in a moment, our elder spoke.

It's hard to describe the pure expression of joy on their faces. It's as if Ho-oh dropped down from the now open sky and granted them all eternal happiness. Turns out this is just the way they celebrate Brock cooking. A small fireplace has been created in no time, using wood gathered by Max and Ash, while Blaise and May were setting up the table. Brock had already began cutting his vegetables and the only thing left was to light the flame. What better way to do that than using our Pokemon.

-Let me handle this, said May as she let out her Torchic.

-I've heard that you're into Contests, May? Is that correct? Blaise asked after seeing her Torchic strike a pose as if he were trained.

-That's right. My goal is to become a top coordinator, but there is a slight problem, she said smiling embarrassed.

-What's that? Don't know anything about Pokemon moves? her brother said laughing mockingly.

-Yep, pretty much… she answered looking down.

-Then why did you offer to light the fire? Max continued with the same arrogance he continuously showed when speaking to his sister.

-I don't know…

-How else do you want to learn, Ash suddenly stepped in.

-True. Does your Torchic know any fire type moves? Blaise continued on a soft tone as if they were all asleep, but he still had to make his point across the room to a hard of hearing friend.

-I don't know… May responded blushing out of shame.

-Well, let's see then, Blaise said, while grabbing her Torchic and placing it in front of the fireplace.

Then it became funny. And sad. Both at once multiplied by desperation and divided by patience. In half an hour, Blaise listed about a hundred fire moves, but Torchic didn't know absolutely none. However, they were powerful ones such as Flame Burst and Fire Spin. But only after a long while he finally realized what Torchic knew.

-Ember?

-Ok, then… Torchic use Ember!

Tiny flames exited the little bird's beak, gleaming in the sun as they formed a waterfall of sparks. They landed on the dry wood setting it on fire almost immediately. The instant the branches cracked in the raging fire, Brock grabbed his big pot and started preparing lunch for the 4 hungry mouths begging for food.

-What should we do in the meantime? Ash asked clearly bored from waiting ten minutes without doing anything.

-How about a little bit of battling? Asked Max eager to witness a display of power between his two trainer friends.

-Between me and Ash? Blaise snapped out of his day dreaming when he heard the word " battle"

-Sure thing, let's do this, Ash yelled unable to wait to fight his new friend.

Brock was left alone at the temporary campsite while Ash and Blaise accompanied by the two siblings found their way into a big clearing, perfectly simulating an arena.

-You don't have any other Pokemon, do you? The light haired boy asked, trying to get insight on his opponent.

-Nope, let the battle begin already! Ash screamed excitedly.

Pikachu instantly dashed, the thrill of the fight engulfing him as Ash instantly shouted:" Thunderbolt" . Even though Blaise seems to always be lost in his thoughts, on a far away planet in a galaxy that is populated only by his dreams, battling knocks him back down on earth and fills his veins with excitement as he silently calculated every move ahead of time. Noteworthy to say these two were the complete opposites, as if it's not already noticeable. The reckless one, jumping into fight with little to no knowledge other than brute decision taken in tight situations and , on the other hand, the calm and collected one, who analyzes every move in order to find a great strategy, but loses speed due to the maze in which he submerges.

Pikachu's attack missed by an inch as Blaise issued a "roll away" command on the dot. He knew that Ash had a strong partner and a quick one nonetheless, but he lacked defense… Hard to exploit this weakness when your Pokemon was literally born last week. But they rolled with it.

-Growlithe use Bite!

Unfortunately this wasn't Ash's first rodeo. He had enough time while his opponent ran all over the battlefield, he had already thought of a perfect counter.

-Pikachu use Iron Tail!

In an instant, Pikachu's tail dug deep into Growlithe's body as he got thrown to the far end of the improvised arena, rolling over the dirt, trying to stop. The little puppy was overpowered by one move and was now lying on the ground on the brink between fainting and fighting.

-Don't let that discourage you! You've been through worse! Now get up and try another Bite!

-Sorry to say, but that won't work out, Ash replied without an ounce of arrogance in his voice.

The scenario repeated itself up to the point of impact. However, people learn from their mistakes. Accounting for Pikachu's strength and speed, Blaise shouted simply:" Jump". Pikachu dug his tail hard into the ground allowing for Growlithe to bite him hard and so the positions were reversed. However what wasn't taken in account was…

-Not the smartest move. Pikachu, Thunderbolt, close range!

At point blank range, not only it was a guaranteed shot, but it was also a lot more powerful. But the brief charging time of the move allowed for an instinctive dodge from Growlithe, which jumped away just before he got zapped. However even if it missed, electricity doesn't disappear, it just changes form, so unless your Pokemon is an electric or ground or rock type, so much energy in a short time can lead to mild paralysis… easily noticeable by a Pikachu trainer.

-Growlithe is paralyzed! Quick, finish him off with a Volt Tackle!

"Only slow charged moves, huh?" Blaise thought as his mind raced trying to find an answer to his current problem. Pikachu was approaching Growlithe with immense speed and the outcome wouldn't be good when the two would collide…Only one chance remained.

-Growlithe try to regain control off yourself and use Flame Wheel!

Luckily enough he managed to fight off his paralysis and roll away, causing Pikachu to miss and lose balance. The odds turned against them, as Growlithe switched course and, before Ash could say "Dodge!" , Pikachu was hit by a hot, burning train. The electric mouse recovered mid-air and landed safely on Ash's side of the arena, while Growlithe was reigning supreme over Blaise's side. Both Pokemon were breathing heavily, tired and hurt after such an intense battle.

The buzzing heard earlier intensified… No one noticed it before, because it was blending in with the tunes of the wild nature, but now it was so poignant that it was scary. Seconds passed and the strange noise was now doubled by leaves rustling and branches being torn from the trees. It was as if an avalanche or an unstoppable force of nature was making its way through the calm woods.

-What's this sound? Asked May a little bit scared by the growing buzz.

-Uh oh, Blaise and Max resonated in unison.

-Really, now what's going on? Ash tried to get a grasp of the situation.

-I think we should run, right about now, Max said, sounding a little bit concerned.

-Will you two tell us what's going on? Yelled May exasperated.

-It's a…

Blaise's calm voice was interrupted by the swarm of Beedrill flooded the sky as they passed through the clearing… It was the time of the year when Kakuna evolved into Beedril. This happened on a large scale and since they are very territorial, they usually fight for a part of the woods until one or a group wins. The losing side swarms the rest of the forest attacking every being they set their eyes upon. In this case it was the group of kids.

-Run to the bushes! Max stuttered as his companions were already far past him and were disappearing in the dense hedges.

-Don't split up! Blaise tried to organize the group, but the only thing he could do was follow a small hole in the leaf wall and reunite with whomever got lost through there.

-Where are you? Ash coughed as the Beedrill's wings were creating a dust cloud, separating our heroes…

It wasn't long until they caught their breath, after running deeper and deeper into the jungle of trees. Blaise was panting, while May was collapsed on a rock, breathing heavily as she was trying to calm down. Ash's Pikachu was resting, his eyes closed as he was hurt and had to recover… Without any Pokemon left, as May had left her bag with Brock, things were about to get ugly.


	3. Separated

To that guest review: " If I were to quote myself I'd say that I didn't plan to make the advanceshipping come true because I am a fan of real things not innuendos, therefore I stand by the Amourshipping. Sorry to let you down.

P.S. I had already said that"

Funny how things turn around. One minute you sit near a campfire waiting for food to be served on a silver plate to you, next up you are getting chased by wild Beedrill out of the place you just started a battle in. It might be nature's way of scolding them for disturbing the forest's inner peace. Be that as it may the fact that they are lost still stands. They have been walking around without any sort of goal or direction for about 1 hour until someone had finally decided to stop and think about their path.

"Instead of wandering around brainlessly and possibly get attacked by more wild Pokemon, shouldn't we sit around and figure out a strategy?"

May sighed as she knew her friend was right.

"Fine, I am tired anyway," the girl mumbled, falling on her knees.

"Now listen to me and tell me if any of this is wrong,ok?" Blaise asked suddenly turning serious, the naïve and dreamy hint of his voice turning into a harsh, brutal question.

"Ok…" May said a little bit scared.

"When we had left it was about 2:00 PM and we had the sun behind us. We headed straight North until we found that clearing. When the Beedrill attacked we ran blinded by the small rays passing through the trees' crowns so we headed towards the Northwest… Now it is 4:30 so we should head right about this way to find the camp, right?"

Needless to say May was completely lost from the moment he had started with the geography babble. She had such an adorable confused look, it was as if she was a puppy staring at its owner running away… However her confusion did not stop her from worshipping her new friend as he kept his calm despite being on the edge. It was something she envied, because she freaked out whenever the danger levels rose.

"So should we go?" she asked trying to sound confident, when deep inside she was losing it.

"Right this way," Blaise said as he grabbed Pikachu off the ground.

The little guy had it good. It wasn't an easy battle for any side. Blaise was sure that his Growlithe was hurt as well, but priorities matter. It was now imperative to reach the camp site and any delays were completely useless, so even though he was worried for his partner's safety and well being, the group had to move forward. All their Pokemon, apart from May's Torchic needed medical attention so they had to hurry up. May was out of breath so it was hard for her to keep up with a tireless kid. But, with the instinct of preservation kicking in and the fear of being left alone in the woods, defenseless, she managed to match his pace.

Let's switch the scenery and let the action flow from a different perspective. May and Blaise are walking through the woods towards Brock and the campsite, Ash and Max are lost and are wandering aimlessly towards… surprisingly Brock and the campsite, but that's just out of pure luck. But there is something else lurking in this forest, apart from the Beedrill who mercilessly destroy everything.

It's hard to be a small insignificant Pokemon in a ruthless ecosystem. It's a known process of natural selection that has persisted ever since the first Archeops and Omanyte roamed the earth. It's always the meek that shall perish before the strong take their places and become themselves the small and helpless. But there has been an evolutionary trait that has spread out to a small group of Pokemon. The cause remains unknown, but the effects are visible and have destroyed a lot of species. We have called those who had that gene "shiny". Shinies are easier to be spotted and are more likely to be preyed upon… This is why they are so rare…

A little Eevee was hiding under a leaf bigger than her small body. After being chased by a flock of wild Spearow, she had finally found a shelter where she finally fell asleep. Her dreams were plagued by her recent memories… From the moment she had hatched, her brothers and sisters had looked down to her because she was different. Even her mother was disdainfully treating her, leaving her behind, making her starve… She knew she was an easy prey… She had to go away. One day the little Eevee woke up only to find out that her brothers, sisters and her mom had left without her. Only after running around for half a day, did she come to the brutal realization that she was alone, hungry and scared. Her fluffy mane was shining in the dark, and the first thing she could think of was to hide… But from everywhere, every branch, every rock, every bush, eyes were staring at her. She could feel their cold gaze pinning her down. Destroying her fragile soul as her fear was demolishing her insides. Nothing could cross her mind, but she knew instinctively what she had to do. She needed to run… run away as far and as fast as she could, until she felt it was safe…

She unfortunately couldn't hear what she was doing outside her nightmare world. Her yelps were pretty loud and strident, enough to be heard by the two passing children. May was oblivious to the distressed growls, but this couldn't escape the analytic mind of Blaise.

"Do you hear that?" he asked his scared friend.

"What?" she jumped as if lightning struck her, when the boy beside her friendly touched her shoulder to stop." I don't hear anything but chirping in the distance."

"It sounds as if someone is weeping around here, in the bushes"

"Weeping?" she asked confused, obviously not knowing the word…

"Crying, sobbing, whatever. It's coming from around here and I am not going to let an innocent critter dry its eyes while I am around here."

"How kindhearted of you…" May whimpered sarcastically as she followed her companion through the dense jungle of branches.

Soon enough they had found the "culprit", her muffled barks still poking a hole through their hearts as they carried on more pain than the howl of a lonely Mightyena in a dark desolate night. Her screams came to an end as her sleep turned to lucid drowsiness. The little Eevee's eyes took a second to adjust to the calm rays of sunlight, and another second to spot the two menacing humans before her. She was hiding under a big leaf, which served as a shell for her to poke her head out of and retreat it, should she see any sort of threat. Now the little Eevee turtle was quietly hoping for the two people before her to just fade away, dissolve in the air… But this hadn't happened. She could hear them speaking words unintelligible for her…

"Now do you regret me being kindhearted?" Blaise asked with a glint of superiority.

" I never did, but now I am actually enjoying that we derailed from our path. Look what a cutie we found!" May answered gleefully trying to hug the scared Eevee as it swiftly jumped out of her arms' reach and hid under the same leaf.

"Don't scare her… If you want to approach a wild Pokemon, especially a young and scared one there are some easy steps you ought to follow." Blaise scolded May with his usual voice.

"Do tell, master" she whispered to herself ironically.

"Ough, don't act as it doesn't behoove you to learn this kind of things…"

"Behoove?"

"Benefit you… Either way, try approaching Eevee slowly, your hands tucked behind you and silently so she can't run away?"

"Fine…" she said rolling her eyes. However her attitude changed as following his steps lead to her being able to cuddle the shiny Pokemon.

"You see? Now she had actually let you approach her" Blaise said without patronizing while petting the gray mane of the small and scared normal type.

"What Pokemon is this?" May asked innocently.

"It's one of the most amazing and rarest ones ever. It's an Eevee and not a normal one, oh no. It's a shiny Eevee. And it's also a girl. When Eevee have a 7 to 1 male to female gender ratio."

"I didn't understand half of what you say. I just know that she is cute and I want to keep her"

"Ok, then. Now that we had rescued her how about we head back to Brock and we'll decide who gets to keep the Eevee later…"

Blaise was already walking in front of May, but she had to wait for a good minute and a half to finally realize what he insinuated.

"Wait a minute… You want to take her from me?"

"I don't want to do anything, May, I am just saying that I would like this Pokemon's best interest…" he got cut off by a raging volcano that erupted right near him…a girl volcano.

"What's that supposed to mean?! You think she won't be good with me?"

"I am not saying that…"

"Then what are you saying? I don't like people who hide behind their words and you, Blaise are doing this a lot"

"I am not hiding, because I am in plain sight but you keep shooting in the trees near me. I am not saying I am better nor that you are a bad trainer. I am only trying to tell you that it's not up to you to decide who keeps it and what its best interests are."

"And this, I can't understand half of what you are saying, can't you be normal for a moment? I thought you were cool when you saved me, but now you're just a weird little kid…"

"That's what you think of me?" Blaise asked his calmness becoming the silence before the storm."Ok…" he continued avoiding her gaze and pouting down to the floor.

This is the point where something clicked inside Eevee. She could see the boy's angst and sorrow as an aura that was surrounding him. She recognized… herself. Rare it was for a Pokemon to have such compassion and empathy, but they were truly sentimental beings. That's what no research will ever tell you… She had seen that expression when everything you know and have lets you down, abandons you.

"You know, I thought you people can see past this. I am distant, I am cold, I am calculated, because I had grown up in a crystal bowl… When I was at your father's gym, I finally had the guts to free the surge of adrenaline being locked in deep beneath in. And for the first time I felt alive… I thought I can make you my friends, but apparently you are too blinded by prejudice to see past a mask I had created as a defense mechanism. I think I will remain alone, but first to show you I really considered you a friend, I will lead you to the camp."

This were the last words spoken by any of them for the remaining of the trip. Blaise had left her and waited 30 feet ahead of May just to avoid any sort of conversation. He was still carrying Ash's passed out Pikachu. Eevee had jumped out of May's arms and was now walking at the same pace as both of them, halving the distance between them.

Now May had been overcome with remorse… Thinking back on what she said, she realized two things. That she could be stubborn when she stood firmly by her beliefs and that she was very harsh to a very fragile soul. She would have wanted to go to him and apologize, but even though she had known him for only two days, she had seen that his determination is pretty solid. Therefore, even though she had picked up her pace and even started running, she couldn't catch up to him as he just mimicked her speed. They were getting closer, both of them were able to smell Brock's amazing cooking…

As if they hadn't already farfetched their way into the right path, they had also managed to run into the other lost kids like magic had managed to coincidence their way into Ash and Max. Blaise had just said a friendly "Hi", handed Pikachu to Ash and took his Growlithe from Max's arms then rushed to take his bag from Brock and just took off. No strings attached, no goodbye, nothing. He just left them all behind.

His Growlithe was still tired and his breath was uneven. Blaise was worried, but it was not shown on his face. He was stone cold and so was his Pokemon… Heavy, rushed steps were forming holes in the dirt path leading to Rustboro city. 10 miles were separating the two from their first gym battle and no Pokemon center was to be found anywhere on his PokeNav. That was mainly because of the lack of signal. He was looking just in front of him, never to the sides, never behind. If he were looking though, he would have found a shiny Eevee following him ever since he split from his friends.

It wasn't long until he had finally caught a glimpse of that red pokeball icon, slowly rising from the edge of the horizon. He started jogging until he reached his destination. Swiftly he handed his Pokemon to nurse Joy and he patiently waited for him to be brought back into tip top shape. Suddenly, Blaise heard uneasy scratches at the door. When he opened the door, it was surprising to find the Eevee from earlier jumping to him, rubbing her head on his legs.

"May was right in one way after all. You are a little cutie." He mumbled as she playfully tackled her new friend." Ok, ok," Blaise said overwhelmed by the affection this Pokemon was showing towards him." How about you come with me on my journey? That sound good to you?"

Eevee literally flipped of joy. She didn't know about what she was signing her life away for, but she knew that she had found someone to share her now joyful life with. He made her feel loved, he made her feel…safe.

Blaise's pokeball just hit her head and it stopped shaking, this is how little resistance Eevee showed. Now in her new home she was handed over to nurse Joy in order to heal her up and get her ready to battle by his side…The two Pokemon returned after a brief period of time looking as powerful and as happy as ever.

"Let's go guys, our first gym battle awaits…"

Advisory note: To all those who will flip at me in the future I would love to pinpoint an important fact that you people might have missed or ignored. Notice I mentioned prof. Sycamore in the beginning of the first chapter. This would mean that the action is happening at the same time as gen VI not gen III. Therefore, all the future references to moves, type effectiveness, evolutions, items and other gen VI stuff( with the only exception of mega evolutions) is possible and is going to happen. Think of this, therefore as a retelling of the OR/AS games not as the Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald games. It does in fact have something in common with the anime, given the characters introduced, but think of them as a merged universe( I know it's confusing, but bear with me, please).

Yours truly,

Me.


	4. Volcanic encounters

Having a type advantage is always important. Rustboro city is a rock type gym and with a fire type and a normal type by his side, odds were not by his side, given the fact that they were also severely underpowered because of their age. He could try two things now… Train his Pokemon or catch a grass, water, fighting, ground or ice type. It's easier said then done, because fighting types are rarely found around cities, same goes for grass and ground types and ice types live in cold places, far away from Rustboro. It was the early morning when Blaise left the Pokemon center for Rustboro city. He was expecting to run into May, Ash, Brock and Max, but apparently they spent the night outdoors.

He wasn't in a rush, actually he was walking at a leisurely pace, being followed by his trusty Pokemon, stepping by his sides. Three sets of footsteps were now leaving imprints on the warm sand. They were walking by the beach, just because it was a lot more beautiful to watch the sun, slowly being born from the raging tides of the sea. It was so majestic to gaze upon the sole star of the morning sky to slowly grow power to its peak, then losing it all along to allow the moon to breathe.

Two miles were now separating the new trainer from the town of his first official battle, but little did he know that he was about to get something more coming to him. Blaise wasn't anymore the only one on the road. Two silhouettes, a man's and a woman's were bending over a small wooden dock. They seemed to be grabbing something from the clear water. As the boy approached, he could make out the net full of Carvanha that the duo was pulling out from the sea. It didn't seem legal, nor ethical, so our hero couldn't stand to see this kind of injustice done to a bunch of innocent Pokemon.

"Excuse me, sir, madam? May I know what are you doing here?" he asked, bravely stepping up to the two evildoers .

"Of course," the man said sarcastically." We will tell you all you want to know, if you scram and never bother us again" he finished his sentence, pushing the little boy off the dock and into the sand.

"Now go away unless you want some trouble," the lady yelled as the two continued minding their business.

Even though he had been pushed and ashamed, he couldn't let this go. In an instant, a simple command had left his mouth, causing the wet net to dry and burn in an instant.

"What?" the two grunts gasped.

" You did this you little twerp? You couldn't just run away, and now you're going to lose both your puny Growlithe and your extremely rare Eevee," the man yelled angrily searching his pockets for a pokeball. When he finally found it, the man, who was peculiarly dressed only in red clothes, threw it on the sand letting out a big Mightyena.

"Control your anger, please. You're just leaving an annoying brat to flip you off? Let's take care of him, rob him then we'll resume our activity as this boy runs off crying," the woman who followed her partner's dressing code, threw her Pokemon out, a Zubat.

"Let's end this fast. Mightyena use Bite!"

"Zubat use Air Cutter!"

Both attacks came at blinding speed, but Blaise was already prepared…

"Growlithe use Flame Wheel to break through Zubat's Air Cutter and gain altitude using his own attack. Eevee, jump and tackle Mightyena to the ground!"

Mightyena had taken a mouthful of sand, and got its snout pressed against the beach floor as Eevee had taken on her adversary with immense speed, that none of the trainer had expected. As to Growlithe, who was pretty experienced with battling, he knew that following his master's instructions would result in an easy victory. Empowered by the speed of the Air Cutter, the puppy hit Zubat with tremendous strength, knocking him out of the skies.

"Wow this kid is tough," the two gasped together as their Pokemon recovered from the heavy blows." But you won't be able to live through our combo...Mightyena! Zubat! Use Shadow Ball"

Mightyena jumped in the air, over his teammate's wings, as both charged up their attack and launched it at the same time. The two orbs collided and grew in size and power as they were both approaching the two helpless Pokemon on the ground.

"Eevee jump up and intercept both blasts then use Charm!"

For the first time in his trainer experience, Blaise had experienced disobedience from a Pokemon. Eevee was scared to comply and receive two enormous attacks, combined into one. The more she hesitated, the less time her trainer had to figure out a strategy…

"Eevee, trust me nothing will happen, just jump up and take that enormous ball!"

She was still sitting still, petrified by her enemies's strength, but now she heard a word that she could understand. Trust. Something she had missed for a while… And now her new…friend had found it in her. Was it up to her to misuse the power he had found inside her?"Trust me" his words echoed inside her head, as involuntarily her feet literally took a leap of faith and jumped in front of the Shadow Ball. Closing her eyes, she took the jump and waited for the pain to come and was surprising for her that the attack had done literally nothing, not even a scratch…

"Now use Charm!" Blaise's voice broke the silence inside Eevee's head. She regained control over herself and listened to her trainer.

Now the enemies were weakened and regaining from using a powerful attack, so this was the perfect time to finish them off.

"Time to wrap this up! Growlithe use…"

Growlithe had only heard the words "wrap it up" and he was already using an attack. At first it looked like Ember, but it seemed different. Stronger. It was a new attack. Flamethrower. It hit the two as if they were just now hatched. Mightyena and Zubat have fainted and now the two grunts were left defenseless and without any Pokemon left.

"We might have remained without any means to fight, but we're still bigger than you and stronger so you might as well hand over your Pokemon, right…" the man was interrupted by a familiar siren and tire scratches. A police motorcycle was making its way to a potential crime scene.

"Stop right there, Team Magma!" A female voice yelled using the motorbike's speaker.

"Damn it! It's officer Jenny, let's get out of here! Zubat use SmokeScreen," the woman yelled as Blaise's view was covered with thick smoke allowing him to see only the two red people running, before his eyes couldn't bear with the smog.

He exited Zubat's attack as fast as he could, only to be taken into custody by the green haired police officer.

"Stop right there! What were you doing down here, little boy?" she asked oblivious to the fact that the criminals have escaped and that he helped free the innocent water types.

"I was walking down the beach on my way to Rustboro city, when I saw these strange people grabbing a net full of Carvanha out off the water. It didn't seem to me that it was a legal fishing activity, so I stepped up and asked them what were they doing to the innocent Pokemon, at which point they had attacked me using a Mightyena and a Zubat. My Growlithe and Eevee had successfully defeated them, but their Zubat used SmokeScreen the second they heard you so they ran away and left this," he said pointing to the dock " net, that Growlithe has burnt open, here."

Officer Jenny was impressed by this feat of bravery, but couldn't forgive herself for letting team Magma escape again.

"You were very courageous,kid," she said looking at him with admiration. She then jumped on the dock to try and flip the net back in the water, so that the Carvanha trapped inside could breathe again." Lend me a hand will you,kid?"

Blaise jumped on the dock and in a few seconds, the fishes were back in their rightful place. However, the little kid had noticed that the trap wasn't only filled with vicious Pokemon. A sweet Spheal was lying on the wooden dock, passed out and bearing severe burn marks. He must have been right on the spot where Growlithe had used Flame Wheel.

"I need to get this Spheal to a Pokemon center, officer. Can you give me a lift to the closest one?" the boy said concerned.

"The least I can do,kid," she said offering him the side-car.

Blaise quickly grabbed his Pokemon and got on. The trip was silent, officer Jenny not being the talking type of person. The only words Blaise had heard from her before she dropped him off and ran to the precinct were:" Take care of yourself!"

Having entered the Pokemon Blaise was surprised of the amount of kids with Pokemon in there. By kids, he of course though of four or five year olds who were going to the trainer school. He wasn't bothered by none of their yelling and playful cheers as he knew that once he was the same. The injured Spheal he had carried was checked in and checked out faster than ever, of course being captured in the meantime by our hero, because if he were so lucky to find a water and ice type, he couldn't just kick it. He looked at the clock on the wall reading that it was half past three.

"Why not go to school?" He thought to himself as he got his two pokeballs and his Growlithe off the tray.

The trainer's school is a must visit for every novice, in order for him or her to learn all the basics of Pokemon. However, Blaise needed only training not knowledge. Maybe he would find a trainer there who could battle him. In the meantime he could admire the city's picturesque architecture. All the buildings there were made out of stone, giving the town an old fashioned look and a rustic one as well. The beautifully encrusted pavement was reminding him of his trips to Kalos, where every city, even those called new and reworked, would have mementos of their former selves. The streets were never busy, silence reigning supreme over the empty boulevards. From the center to the school it took him about half an hour. He entered the cool building, relieved to get out of the burning, late afternoon, summer sun. He was greeted by a group of students lead by none other than the gym leader and the headmaster of the school, Roxanne.

"Hello there, what is it that you want?" the expert trainer asked the seemingly lost child.

"I came here hoping I could find a way to train my Pokemon." He responded swiftly and firmly.

"You came to the right place, then. I will help you find a worthy opponent in our battle class. Children, follow me!" she said as she showed Blaise to a big stone door, behind which lied one of the biggest arenas our hero had ever seen." There is an event I like to call 'Last Man Standing'. You'll confront novice trainers until you remain out of usable Pokemon. This way you gain experience really easily and our students can learn a lot from this. Are you in?" Roxanne asked eager for Blaise's answer.

"Count me in. But I've got a question." He answered placid.

"Yes, you can switch Pokemon in and out as you please. Believe it or not a lot of people ask this and I am glad they do. Take your stand your first opponent will come shortly. They're going to be only 1 on 1 battles with you having all your Pokemon and your opponent using only one. Good luck!" Roxanne yelled as she had left the room and left Blaise alone to fight the first pupil.

It was a little girl. She quickly threw her pokeball only to reveal an immense Metang. Of course that Blaise was not stupid and sent his Growlithe straight out to fight the steel type. These battles were not interesting. Even for his underpowered Pokemon, with one well timed attack, Blaise had defeated every enemy… Growlithe beat Metang, Eevee destroyed Shelgon, Spheal decimated Slugma… and so on. He was undefeated for 20 straight matches and his Pokemon didn't even break a sweat. They were as joyful and energized as ever… However a familiar face had come unto the arena.

"You finally caught up,right?" Blaise said more sad than mockingly.

"I don't understand why you left us, but I just hope you can come back and overcome a petty tantrum," Ash responded." For now we have got a battle to finish and I hope that this will ready us both for our try at the Rustboro Gym.

"What Pokemon have you got?"

"You'll see… I am not that dumb to give away my strategy like that…"

"You still have to send out a Pokemon first," Blaise said smiling.

"Fair enough," Ash gasped as he sent out his Treecko.

Blaise had sent out his Spheal and the battle could begin. Ash thought that only he had the type effectiveness, but it soon showed up that he had forgotten of Spheal's Ice type.

"Let's start it off with a bang! Treecko use Pound!" Ash's words didn't finish their echoing trip around the massive dome, that Treecko had already reached Blaise's Spheal and was about to crash into him should his trainer not yell:

"Rollout Spheal now!"

That was a smart move. Not only it was a defensive move, but also an offensive one, sending Treecko flying over the rocky battlefield. Ash wasn't giving up this easy, but little did he know about the power of Rollout.

"Bullet Seed now, Treecko!" Ash yelled from across the arena.

"Keep up with the Rollout, Spheal!" Blaise commanded as the small blue ball was closing the gap between them. The seeds were just bouncing off him, dealing damage to him, but he just kept on rolling. The second time it made contact, Treecko was sent crashing to pile of rocks gathered around on each side. Another hit was going to be Treecko's demise and Ash knew it. Worry was all over his face, but he had nothing to do against an unstoppable Rollout. The single thing he could do was switch out…

"Treecko, return! Pikachu your turn," Ash concluded as Pikachu stepped in the battle, Spheal still rolling around, gaining speed and power.

"Spheal keep your pace up and use Rollout one more time!"

The fluffy water type was now blinking all over the arena at enormous speed, so Ash needed to think quick… and so he did.

"Pikachu use Iron Tail, but jump first!"

Physics worked with and against Ash. Using Pikachu's Iron Tail as a lever to stop Spheal was clever, but unfortunately when so much momentum exists, things are bound to go wrong. Spheal had stopped indeed, but he brought Pikachu slamming down in the ground as his Rollout finally came to a stop. Pikachu had risen to his hind paws shaking off the impact, but he was visibly injured. After the dust has cleared up, Spheal was revealed to be fainted after causing damage to half of Ash's team. With Pikachu out, the safest bet was to use Eevee, but Ash had changed Pokemon again, releasing his Taillow.

"Taillow use Wing Attack!" Ash shouted as his partner rose up to the ceiling then came crashing down into Eevee.

"Duck then use Tackle!" Blaise yelled as Taillow flew over his Pokemon's head. Eevee had hit Taillow hard causing him to lose balance immediately and fall to the ground.

"Get up and Peck Eevee in close combat!" Ash commanded not letting Eevee recover from the attack that left her exposed.

Flying at immese speed, Taillow instantly started to Peck Eevee, unleashing a devastating flurry of attacks on Blaise's helpless shiny partner. However with a careless miss, the tiny bird left his flank exposed, just in time for Eevee, commanded by Blaise to Bite him hard and throw him on the ground.

"Great, he is grounded now. Seal his fate with a jumping Tackle!"

Eevee jumped up in the air and targeted her enemy , but what she was preparing for wasn't a Tackle, it was something much stronger.

"That's not Tackle," Max remarked from the sideline.

"That's Takedown. The users basically hurls itself at the enemy, causing immense damage, but hurting itself with recoil. If Taillow doesn't get up in an instant, it's the end of the battle for him. If he does, however Eevee will be destroyed by its own reckless charge," Brock mumbled, offering his thoughts on the situation.

Taillow could recover from his shock, but couldn't dodge Eevee in time. She came in like a wrecking ball, pummeling the little bird to the hard stone floor, leaving him fainted on the ground.

"That's enough, Taillow, you did your best. Treecko, you're up!" Ash said as the tired and bruised lizard exited its pokeball."Treecko, Pound!"

With the same blinding speed, Treecko had blinked over the battlefield towards Eevee and before Blaise could shout out a command, his big tail had already smashed into the shiny mane of Eevee. Treecko then jumped back to his starting position.

"Eevee don't give up!" Blaise tried to praise his Pokemon, which was wounded and powerless against such a powerful enemy.

"Destroy Eevee with Bullet Seed!" Ash yelled threatening to end Eevee's time in the battle.

"Retaliate with Swift!" Blaise shouted, his wit inspiring his shiny to get up and attack.

The two moves collided in the middle, the sound of power resonating throughout the immense arena. Despite the difference in power between the two, their attacks were evenly matched, negating each projectile being fired. With every second passing, each Pokemon grew more and more fatigued and eventually it started to show… The streams of seeds and stars were derailing slowly to the ground… It only took one stray projectile from each side to hit into each of them to cause them to faint…

"Both of them are down… You've grown stronger it seems," Ash praised his opponent." I can't wait to see how strong your Growlithe has become. Let's see if he had grown up. Pikachu, your turn again," he continued talking to his Pikachu, which had already gotten to the Battlefield.

"You'll see right now!"

Growlithe had taken his place on the battlefield, striking his most threatening pose.

"Your Pikachu is pretty tired, I think this will be a one hit KO…"Blaise mumbled looking disappointed.

"So? Why the long face?" Ash said confused of his opponent's attitude."If you won't attack, I will. Pikachu use Quick Attack to close the gap then use your speed and use Iron Tail!"

"Stop him in his tracks. Use Flamethrower to block his path then Flame Wheel through it!"

Pikachu stopped in his tracks, blocked by the raging fire before him. It was only one second before Growlithe raced through the flames, in a relentless assault and hit Pikachu across the arena. Needless to say that after an attack of that magnitude, he instantly fainted. Growlithe didn't even have a scratch.

Blaise had already came by Ash's side to see if Pikachu was harmed. He knew that after a battle, Pokemon might need special and instant care, but battling through 2 regions, Pikachu had grown resistant. He was hurt, but still conscious.

"Thanks for the care, but we'll handle it from here on. I'll go to the center. Maybe we'll meet you there, Blaise", Ash said trying to appeal to a soft side of the ice cold boy.

"Doubtful." Blaise responded laconically.

"Ok then," Ash whispered him being the one disappointed now."Goodbye"

This was the last battle of today for our hero, but tomorrow he had a gym battle scheduled. With strength and now type effectiveness, he was confident that it was going to be an easy win…


	5. Evolutions

Blaise's first gym battle was done as fast as it started. Spheal had decimated both Geodude and Nosepass in an effortless fight and it was all caught on tape. Roxanne was dazzled by the strength of a trainer who had allegedly just started his journey. She had to postpone all of her matches for later in the evening, because her Pokemon needed immediate attention.

"Wow, you really crushed my gym and smashed the boulders in the arena. I've never been so destroyed in my 10 years spent in this city. You clearly earned your badge."

"Thanks… teacher," Blaise said laughing.

"So, where you're headed to now? If I were you, I'd go to Dewford and defeat my friend Brawly over there. If you can wreck his fighting types as you did with mine, you've got yourself a straight line to the Ever Grande Conference"

"Thank you," Blaise answered embarrassed, turning his back on the leader and walking away with his Growlithe by his side.

It's worth noting that Dewford city is not very close to Rustboro. It's actually separated by an immense body of water that can only be crossed with a cruise ship. Luckily Blaise never had trouble with any money, so embarking on a big boat that would bring him to his second gym badge in two days what nothing special. However, since Dewford is also a great tourist attraction due to the nearby mountains apart from Brawly's gym, the cruiser was packed with trainers, each boasting about the power of his Pokemon. The ship also had an indoor arena that would let time pass easier for those who couldn't ignore the thrill of the fight not even for one second. Blaise wasn't one of them.

He realized that he had been working his Pokemon really hard in the last couple of days so, they could use a day or two off just to be pampered and taken care off. This is why the second, he embarked on the deck he went to the PokeSpa just below the bridge. It was amazing, the amount of care put into building a facility that relies on promoting beauty above all else. But nobody can deny that it made our tiny companions feel amazing. And the only thing required was to check in and then check out. If you wanted to, you could actually treat your Pokemon yourself.

Well, someone should rethink this spa. Who would've thought that for a Fire type a sponge bath would be good? A genius that's who. Spheal enjoyed it thoroughly, though and in ten minutes he was fast asleep from all the fun he had splashing around and playing around the bubbles like a small child. And since, all the other people in there were trying to relax, silently, no wonder a troubled trainer came in to try and silence him.

"Will you keep it down?" an annoyed girly voice yelled, her steps thumping on the floor.

Blaise turned around only to be jumped at by a familiar face. It was May, who was apparently on the same ship as him.

"Sure. Spheal had just fallen asleep. I will take my leave now," he responded avoiding her green eyes as he quietly disappeared.

"Wait…" May gasped, but he was already too far to hear her. But that didn't stop her.

It was a pretty long time since they had their slight argument that was mainly her fault. She was very cruel and direct to a boy who had never been exposed to the real world for his entire life and this caused a fissure in his heart. However she had noticed he had a weakness, a small malfunction in his matrix of a brain that would make him crack and drop a smile from the ice cold sky he was watching all people from. He couldn't help but giggle and laugh when he was around Pokemon. So she had to approach him from this angle.

She had followed him throughout the ship all the way to the food court… her soft spot. But she had to let it go in order to keep a friend close. He wasn't easy to spot, but you could've noticed his shiny Eevee from afar. Sitting at a table, slowly and patiently eating his soup, while his Eevee and Growlithe were near him digging their tiny muzzles in the custom made Pokemon food, he was a statue, gazing at some unknown spot in the distance. He was oblivious to the fact that a lot of people were staring at his little shiny as if they had seen a God descending from the skies. Soon enough, a few daring people had come close to him:

"Hello, dear boy," an old man said, adjusting his glasses and hat." I see that you have a very healthy Pokemon here," he continued trying to strike Eevee's fur, but she jumped in her trainer's arms, visibly scared.

"Yes, I do, indeed. What do you want, sir?" he asked continuing to eat his soup completely unaffected by the old man near him.

"I would like to offer you a trade," he continued, his voice becoming jovial and cheerful.

"I am not interested, sorry to let you down," Blaise mumbled slightly annoyed.

"Name your price."

The old man threw 6 pokeballs in the air. His collection was amazing. He had only 6 Pokemon at hand, but they were incredible. Dragonite, Tyranitar, Metagross, Salamence, Garchomp and Haxorus all shiny. However, none was rarer than his Eevee.

"How about I offer you a shiny Ditto," another tired voice yelled from across the food court.

"A shiny Goodra?" a young elegant man chimed in.

"Rotom?Unown? Volcanion?" three other people turned their head, screaming their offers.

"How about a friend?" an unknown person spoke, turning heads all over with such an outrageous bid.

Yet again, it was May, making her way through the crowd and taking a seat next to him. With a simple look, she told him to lose all those people that had gathered around, surrounding the kids like hungry sharks circle prey. For the first time, Blaise caught her gaze and decided to do as she pleased.

"You can keep your 'currency' that you people call Pokemon. My Eevee is not for trade and will never be, for she is my friend and I am not going to lower myself to the point where I am selling her out just to obtain someone stronger or rarer. You should think about this on your way back to your tables, where I hope you'll sit for the remainder of my lunch and not bother me again."

His words were raw and brutal, but carried an immense message to these people. Although they were oblivious to its meaning, they took the blow and dispersed as fast as they formed.

"So what is the important thing you wanted to talk to me, before I leave and presumably forget our encounter?"

"Why you've got to be so difficult to talk to?"

This is how the two started the conversation that would finally lead to them making up. Strange isn't it?

"Do I have to say I am sorry?" May asked innocently.

"No, you don't have to. But it would be a good start to it…"

"Ok, prepare for a wall of words. I know I have been harsh and told you things I shouldn't have. There were two reasons for that.. I really wanted your cute Eevee, but now that I see her so happy with you, I am glad that she chose you. And second of all, you should understand that I grew with a know-it-all brother and despite you being so much less condescending and patronizing, I couldn't stand you just correcting and suggesting everything, thinking that you were better than me. But…" she stopped abruptly.

"But?" Blaise asked confused.

"But you were right… You are better than me, this is why I would want you to teach me everything about Pokemon. You don't know, but I have decided to participate in Pokemon contests as opposed to falling in my father's footsteps, but I am going to need someone to help me understand how this whole thing works. Will you do it?" she asked throwing her cards on the table hoping for him to call her bluff.

"First lesson," he started laughing " this thing works fairly easily. You just need to form a nice bond with your Pokemon. That's pretty much it."

"And one more little thing…"

"What's that?" Blaise asked smiling with a warmth peculiar to him.

"Can I pet your sleeping Eevee?" she asked with a tone that reminded of a little girl asking for more candy.

"Sure," he answered gently placing Eevee on the table, so that both of them could pet her.

This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and of a more beautiful evolution. The second their hands met on Eevee's head a glow engulfed her. Her ears grew bigger and pointier and a bow appeared on her left one. Her body grew larger and slimmer , her tail less fluffier and a scarf appeared around her neck. She went to sleep an Eevee and woke up a beautiful shiny Sylveon.

The second she woke up, she jumped in Blaise's arms and hugged him using her feelers and nugged him with her muzzle. She was sure more affectionate, but when May tried to pet her she shyly squinted her eyes shut and dug her head deeper in his jacket. She still kept her personality and now grew into one of the cutest things a girl could ever dream of. Sylveon was now essentially a hug magnet for every small kid.

"What is this?" asked May a bit freaked out.

"You never heard of evolution? It's the process the majority of Pokemon undergo which changes almost everything about them. Eevee has evolved into Sylveon…" he got interrupted.

"Can she evolve again?" May asked curious.

"Now you should prepare for a wall of words. Eevee is a very special Pokemon because she has the most final forms of every Pokemon. She can evolve into Flareon with a Fire Stone, Vaporeon with a Water Stone, Jolteon with a Thunder Stone, Espeon with a Soothe Bell during the day , Umbreon with the same Soothe Bell, but at night, Leafeon near a Moss Rock, Glaceon near an Ice Rock and Sylveon should you take great care of her and you have a very good bond. Your Torchic evolves twice, into Combusken then Blaziken, but my Growlithe evolves once and only using a Fire Stone into Arcanine. Some Pokemon also have branched evolutionary lines, like, well Eevee, while others have different forms considered different stages of evolution. Castform and Rotom are good examples because they take different forms based on weather or the appliance they possess. That's evolution in a nutshell, for now," Blaise ended taking a deep breath.

"Wow, fascinating," May grumbled, bored out of her mind."How about we return to the group and you can continue your lecture then?"

"Fine."

It wasn't long until the two had rejoined the big group. Max was befuddled by Eevee's evolution and so was Ash, but he was more concerned about filling his stomach up, while Brock was silently taking in all of the sights… from the pool nearby. The cruise was supposed to go on for at least 2 days, so the passengers had to be entertained and what other way to do that than with Pokemon? The organizers had come up with the idea of a contest on the main deck and everyone is welcome to join for a small mystery prize.

Needless to say that May had already signed in the second she heard the announcement. She needed training and this was the perfect opportunity to finally work out a routine.

"How about you guys join too?" May asked unaware that the two trainers weren't really close and fond of coordinating.

"I don't know what to say, May," Ash answered scratching his head. " I don't think I am really that good at Contests as I am at gym battles…"

"Come on, wouldn't it be a nice change of pace for once? You can finally switch from taking on life head on with brute strength and finally enjoy the beauty you, yourself can create?" May said in a poetic tone.

"Besides, it pays off to do things like this, from time to time. It's as the football players do. They take ballet classes for balance and coordination, ironically," Brock intervened.

"Let's not forget that Contest have battles too, after the solo performance in the beginning. So do we count you in?" Blaise asked starting writing his name on the registration form.

"Yeah, sure whatever…" Ash sighed defeated by his friends' continuous remarks.

It was on… Tomorrow a contest was going to be hold and it was May's first time on the stage. She was anxious to train for her routine, but she didn't know where to start… She had her two star Pokemon, Torchic and Beautifly and she had to choose one. And since her mother once had a love for a certain flying type, her choice was clear. Now in terms of performance she was completely overcome. She had no idea how to choreograph something like this , not a starting point, not an ending, nothing. But thankfully her friends and especially someone with a touch for beautiful were there for her. Blaise had taken the time for his preparation and threw it out the window only to help her out. It was all worth it though, because after a little bit of sleep deprivation( which, mind you, for a ten year old kid is to not be fast asleep by midnight) they had everything figured out and she just had to repeat what Blaise taught her.

It's funny how things turn around. Thinking that a few days ago, he wanted nothing to do with May and her group and now the little boy had sacrificed his performance only to lend her a hand. People are like the tides of the sea. Never staying the same, always switching, swirling, whirling and twirling but in the end they all hit the shore they were destined for. This is what happened to them both. Blaise had omitted something when he told May about the eevolutions. Sylveon doesn't evolve solely because of friendship… she evolved out of love.


End file.
